The Press-Register recently reported that the target date to award the U.S. Air Force tanker contract may very well be pushed back past mid-November. This is disappointing news.

This project could create tens of thousands of jobs for southern Alabama, the Gulf Coast region and the nation as a whole.

As a retired Air Force member, I feel strongly that it is our duty as a nation to ensure that our men and women in uniform are equipped with the best tools to do their job safely and effectively. This project represents the readiness of our military and its ability to meet contingency requirements throughout the world.

The economy is not getting any better. If we want to turn it around, we need to get moving on projects that are already in the works — like the construction of the KC-45 tanker — not new expensive programs that will cost the overburdened taxpayers more money.

The Gulf Coast Economy: Ready 4 Takeoff Coalition is holding a community town hall meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to talk about how we can work together to turn this economy around. I encourage residents to join me in attending the meeting at the Bayou La Batre Community Center.

DAVID GRAVES

President

Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce

Dauphin Island

Oysters too good for eating contests

Regarding the article about the oyster-eating record ("New record set at Wintzell’s," Sept. 12), it seems that some folks either didn’t notice or chose to ignore the letter from Mobile physician Dr. Coleman Oswalt ("Eating contests don’t promote good health," July 16) regarding these "cram-it-in-your-face" eating contests.

His counsel was that such events aren’t a good idea, for a number of reasons.

I adore raw oysters in season. I’ve eaten them from Wintzell’s practically since I was born, and hope I will eat many more.

Some of my own happiest memories come from early childhood, when my family stopped off at Wintzell’s to pick up "baby loaves" of fried oysters to take home for dinner. Other nights, we went by the home of a family named Coleman in Midtown, who shucked and sold fresh raw oysters in their back yard.

All of us would have been appalled at the idea of stuffing in dozen after dozen, raw or cooked, to see who could down the most. The point was, rather, to enjoy each one to the fullest.

The gentleman doing the record-setting eating apparently had dozens, several times over, and then kept going past the point at which he made himself ill.

I’ll spare us all the rest of the story. But it’s going to take me a while to get enthusiastic about raw oysters again, even though I firmly believe that Mobile oysters are one of heaven’s finest gifts to the gastronome.

CAMMIE COWAN

Fairhope

Attack ads make case for transparency

As gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne said, it is "sad" when people can run attack ads in a campaign and not disclose their identities until the campaign is over. However, his terminology seemed not to go far enough. The terms "pathetic" and "pitiful" may be better. "Despicable" may be even better.

We need to let our elected officials know we consider it sad, pitiful, pathetic, despicable or just plain bad enough to make laws against it.

High levels of transparency should be expected and even mandated in regard to campaigning and many aspects of state government as well. Bradley Byrne was not going after the Alabama Education Association or the good people who are members. He was going after the very practices that leaders of organizations know they can get away with in our state.

I know there are good people who unwittingly gained something when those ads were run. I believe Dr. Robert Bentley was one. From all I can gather, he is a good, sincere man. I like his position on most issues, and I’ll support him to be our next governor. My vote will be cast with high hopes that he will lead the effort to ensure campaign transparency and other reforms.